Regional Medical Center in San Jose is increasing its emergency room capacity by nearly 60% in an effort to reduce patient wait times. A new section of the emergency department opened Wednesday afternoon, adding 20 beds as part of a $17 million expansion project. Some of the new beds are in priva te rooms. The expansion brings the emergency department’s total capacity to 53 beds. The new beds are expected to fill up quickly. Regional Medical Center accounts for 30% of emergency room visits among hospitals operated by Santa Clara County. “These additional beds mean we can move patients in to get medications and treatments more quickly, decreasing their wait times and decreasing the wait for relief from their symptoms,” said Dr. Yvonne Karanas, physician executive at Regional Medical Center. County leaders said the additional capacity is needed as demand for emergency services at county hospitals continues to grow. Emergency department demand has increased 10% over the past two years and is expected to rise further. Santa Clara County Executive James Williams said cuts in federal health care funding could leave more people without access to routine exams, potentially leaving some with no option other than seeking care in emergency departments. While many nurses welcome the additional beds, the president of the Registered Nurses Professional Association said expanding capacity alone is not enough. “The county needs to step up and have more nurses so we will be able to accommodate the expansion,” association President Allan Kamara said. Regional Medical Center’s emergency department recently treated nearly 300 patients in a single day. Officials hope the expansion will help future patients receive treatment more quickly. ...read more read less